Latest initiatives

Amazon has expanded from books to compact discs to auctions, and now through z-Shops, thousands of different products, offered by different merchants. Bezos says this is the tip of the iceberg for where Amazon wants to be: 'Our long-term vision is to build a place where people come to find and discover anything with a capital A. We are not going to be able to do that alone - we are going to do that in partnership with thousands, tens of thousands, maybe even millions of third parties.'

This, however, could pose problems for Amazon. Firstly, utilising the services of thousands of partners could adversely affect the much-cherished customers' experiences. Equally, by trying to be all things to all people, the Amazon message of service and quality could be undermined. Bezos disagrees: